Food & Compost

Farm-2-Library

Every Thursday the Library receives a delivery of fresh produce and a limited number of shelf-stable items, all available for free to anyone on a first come, first served basis. The refrigerator is located near our parking lot entrance. We encourage you to bring your own bag, and take only what you know you and your household will use. 

The Farm-2-Library Program is made possible through a partnership with the Southern Adirondack Library System and Comfort Food Community. Many local farms are involved in the production, recovery, and distribution of this food, and we update our Farm Board (located on the side of the fridge) to let you know who the week’s farm partners are. Menu suggestions and recipes are also available on a weekly basis. 

Read more about Farm-2-Library and other SALS Outreach programs here.

Composting

Thanks to a partnership with Adirondack Worm Farm, patrons can bring all of their kitchen waste to our compost receptacle behind the library for weekly pick-up. Since the program began in March 2022, our community has diverted over 10,000 pounds of compostables from the waste stream. That’s like saving 2,069 gallons of gas. Or, to put it another way: we have offset the equivalent greenhouse gas emissions of 57,953 miles of driving. 

In addition to vermiculture, Adirondack Worm Farm offers hot composting on a large scale, meaning we can include the meat, dairy and bones that do not break down in an ordinary backyard pile.

The following are among the items that CAN be added to the library’s compost bin:

  • Compostable Items
  • Coffee grinds and paper filters
  • Eggs or eggshells
  • Expired dry dog food
  • Fish scales and bones, shellfish
  • Fruits (including pits and skins, but remember to remove those stickers!)
  • Houseplants
  • Meat scraps, fat and bones
  • Moldy or rotten food
  • Paper towel and toilet paper rolls
  • Paper towels (no cleaning chemical residue)
  • Pet hair/fur
  • Pizza boxes, paper egg cartons (or any uncoated cardboard)
  • Tea bags and loose tea (remove staples)
  • Vegetables
  • Wooden toothpicks, popsicle sticks and chopsticks
  • BPI-certified compostable bags and materials

Visit Adirondack Worm Farm for more information.